Dialogue For Development Lecture Highlights PIOJ’s Policy-shaping Mission
By: , February 28, 2026
Photo: Michael Sloley
Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry (centre), in discussion with former Director General, Dr. Wesley Hughes, during the hybrid 2026 staging of the agency’s Dialogue for Development Lecture at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Thursday (February 26). At right is President and Founder of Washington, D.C.-based data analytics and business consulting company, NoBrainerData, Dr. José Miguel Guzmán. The internationally recognised specialist in population dynamics, poverty and climate change adaptation, ageing, and sexual and reproductive health was the featured lecturer at the event.
Photo: Michael Sloley
Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry (right), looks on as President and Founder of Washington, D.C.-based data analytics and business consulting firm, NoBrainerData, Dr. José Miguel Guzmán (centre), greets former PIOJ Director General, Dr. Wesley Hughes. The exchange took place during the hybrid 2026 staging of the PIOJ’s Dialogue for Development Lecture, held at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Thursday (February 26). Dr. Guzmán—an internationally recognised specialist in population dynamics, poverty and climate change adaptation, ageing, and sexual and reproductive health—was the featured lecturer at the event.
Photo: Michael Sloley
Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry (right), engages in discussion with President and Founder of Washington, D.C.-based data analytics and business consulting firm, NoBrainerData, Dr. José Miguel Guzmán, during the hybrid 2026 staging of PIOJ’s Dialogue for Development Lecture. The event was held at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Thursday (February 26). Dr. Guzmán—an internationally recognised specialist in population dynamics, poverty and climate change adaptation, ageing, and sexual and reproductive health—was the featured lecturer.The Full Story
Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry, says the agency’s Dialogue for Development Distinguished Lecture embodies the entity’s steadfast commitment to shaping policy through rigorous evidence, global perspectives, and inclusive discourse.
“Since its establishment in 2001, the Dialogue for Development has served as an important national platform for informed and forward-looking discussion on issues central to Jamaica’s development agenda. The Dialogue was never intended to be ceremonial. It was designed as a space for disciplined thinking, where Jamaica pauses to interrogate the forces shaping our future,” Dr. Henry said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the 2026 hybrid staging of the Lecture at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Thursday (February 26).
Dr. Henry noted that the Lecture was being held at a critical juncture, as structural shifts across the global and local landscape continue to accelerate and reshape the trajectory of development.
“Demographic transition is altering the composition of our labour force and the demands of our social systems. Climate vulnerability is imposing tangible fiscal and developmental costs, and technological change is redefining productivity, competitiveness and inclusion. At the same time, global economic uncertainty continues to test small, open economies such as ours. These are not isolated developments,” he stated.
Dr. Henry underscored that these are interlocking dynamics which demand policy coherence, strategic foresight and institutional discipline in order to mount an effective national response—one that ultimately enhances the quality of life for all Jamaicans.
“Realising this ambition demands more than programme level adjustments. It requires alignment across the economic, social and environmental and social protection systems that are responsive yet fiscally responsible. It requires human capital,” he said.
Dr. Henry noted that the Lecture and similar fora provide valuable opportunities to reflect, interrogate and refine approaches.
The Lecture was held under the theme: ‘Harnessing the Shift: Reimagining a Sustainable Future’.
It explored potential development strategies to address Jamaica’s demographic challenges, particularly stagnant population growth and an ageing population.
The featured lecturer was President and Founder of Washington, D.C.-based data analytics and business consulting company, NoBrainerData, Dr. José Miguel Guzmán, an internationally recognised authority on population dynamics, poverty, climate change adaptation, ageing, and sexual and reproductive health.
